December/January 2013

Volume 19, Number 6

FINAL ISSUE

The benefits of a quality management systems

Elizabeth Turner

A quality management system (QMS) can be defined as the managing structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes, and management resources to implement the principles and action lines needed to achieve the quality objectives of an organization. The definition of a QMS is evolving into a definition of an effective management system. QMS is not an addition to an organization but an integral part of its management and production.

Why should a utility laboratory implement and embrace a QMS? An effective QMS does not independently make an organization more profitable, efficient, or customer-focused, but it will give to an organization the ability to improve everything from production to sales. Unlike a commercial laboratory, where a QMS can lead to increased business and revenue, a QMS for a utility laboratory is a matter of risk management

What every operator should know about laboratory quality assurance and control

NEWS

Group sees need in lab community

Leaders of Lab Practices Committee plan new offerings for WEF lab members

Good lab practices are essential but require careful consideration and consensus. To ensure lab workers who are members of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) are getting the information and advocacy they need, the WEF Laboratory Practices Committee (LPC) formed a revitalization team in April — an ad hoc leadership group with the goal of increasing committee membership, engagement, and output.

“The committee has been too dormant over the last few years,” said Devon Morgan, LPC chair. “We were not addressing our objectives or the needs of the lab community.”

“We are getting the energy flowing back into the committee, so that it can serve as a resource for the rest of the lab world,” Morgan said. Throughout the year, the revitalization team has proven that water is worth their passion and effort — using biweekly conference calls to plan a number of new initiatives.

Scientists uncover secret of Fenton’s reaction

A team of researchers have unlocked a clue to how the widely used Fenton reaction works —it all depends on the acidity.

Andreja Bakac and Oleg Pestovsky, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy Ames Laboratory, and chemistry graduate student Hajem Bataineh have proved that the reaction, which uses hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and iron to destroy wastewater contaminants, can take different paths depending on the pH of the reaction environment.

The reaction is important in the wastewater treatment industry for destroying hazardous organic chemicals.